Eastern State Hospital (Kentucky) facts for kids

Eastern State Hospital, located in Lexington, Kentucky, is one of the oldest hospitals in the United States that helps people with mental health challenges. Today, it is a hospital with 239 beds where patients can stay overnight for treatment. The state of Kentucky owns Eastern State Hospital. It is managed by UK HealthCare, which is part of the University of Kentucky, and is overseen by the state's health department.

History of Eastern State Hospital

An article from the Richmond Enquirer, November 30, 1830

From 1792 to 1824, people in Kentucky who needed mental health care often stayed with families or individuals, paid for by the state. Some were even sent to a hospital in Williamsburg, Virginia.

In 1816, a group of caring citizens in Lexington decided to create a hospital called Fayette Hospital. Their goal was to help poor, disabled, and mentally ill people. They started building it, and in 1817, Henry Clay spoke at the opening ceremony. However, the building was never finished or used.

On December 7, 1822, the Kentucky government passed a law to create a "Lunatic Asylum." They bought ten acres of land, including the unfinished Fayette Hospital building. The hospital opened, and its first patient was admitted on May 1, 1824.

Early Care and Treatment Methods

In 1828, Dr. Samuel Theobald, a doctor at the hospital, wrote that the hospital's main purpose was to care for patients and keep society safe. At first, the hospital mostly took in patients whose conditions were very serious. People who were not violent were expected to stay at home.

In these early years, the care was very basic. There were no doctors working full-time at the hospital. If patients had serious medical problems, local doctors or students from Transylvania University helped them.

In 1844, Dr. John Rowan Allen became the first full-time medical leader of Eastern State Hospital. This marked the start of "moral treatment." This meant treating patients with kindness and understanding. They tried to help patients feel better, not just keep them safe.

Dorothea Dix, a famous person who worked to improve mental health care, visited the hospital in 1847 and again in 1858. Before Dr. Allen, methods like straitjackets and chains were sometimes used to keep patients calm. Dr. Allen's leadership helped stop the use of such methods.

Changes Over Time

After the American Civil War, the hospital faced challenges. More patients arrived, leading to overcrowding, and some older methods of keeping patients calm were used again. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, treatment methods often changed. This usually depended on how much support and money the public provided.

The hospital staff always tried to give the best care possible with the knowledge and resources they had. Because it was the only hospital of its kind nearby, Eastern State Hospital took in patients from all over Kentucky and even from other states. The number of patients staying at the hospital changed a lot over the years.

Over time, the hospital buildings were improved, and new treatment programs were added. In the 1940s, new therapies like electric shock therapy were introduced. In the early 1950s, insulin therapy was used. By 1954, when new calming medicines were discovered, insulin therapy became less common and was stopped by 1957.

Hospital Life and Land

In 1945, the hospital was very crowded, with about 2,000 patients. Even in 1967, there were over 1,000 patients. Eastern State Hospital was like its own small community, separate from the nearby town. Many employees lived on the hospital grounds in small houses or rooms.

Patients often helped with the hospital's daily work. They did farm work, helped maintain the buildings and grounds, cooked, served food, washed dishes, and did laundry. The hospital used to grow most of its own food on its land. At one point, Eastern State Hospital had 400 acres of land, mostly used for farming. In 1956, over 300 acres were sold to IBM. Today, the hospital grounds cover 88 acres.

Modern Management and New Facility

In 1993, a non-profit group called Bluegrass Regional Mental Health-Mental Retardation Board, Inc. became worried that the hospital might close. Many states were closing inpatient facilities to save money. This group wanted to make sure Kentucky still had enough places for people to get inpatient care.

In September 1995, Bluegrass Regional MH-MR took over managing Eastern State Hospital under a contract with the state of Kentucky. This change took nearly two years to plan and just over two months to put into action.

In 2013, the Kentucky House of Representatives decided that Bluegrass Regional needed help because the hospital was offering more services. They brought in UK HealthCare to operate the hospital. On September 13, 2013, UK HealthCare signed a contract to manage the hospital. Governor Steve Beshear approved this contract later that year.

Former Names of the Hospital

Eastern State Hospital has had many names throughout its history:

• Fayette Hospital (1817–1822)
• Lunatic Asylum (1822–1844)
• The Kentucky Lunatic Asylum (1844–1849)
• Lunatic Asylum of Kentucky (1850–1852)
• The Lunatic Asylum (1850–1852)
• The Eastern Lunatic Asylum (1852–1855)
• The Eastern Lunatic Asylum of Kentucky (1855–1858)
• The Kentucky Eastern Lunatic Asylum (1858–1864)
• Eastern Lunatic Asylum (1864–1867)
• The Kentucky Eastern Lunatic Asylum (1867–1873)
• The First Kentucky Lunatic Asylum (1873–1876)
• Eastern Kentucky Lunatic Asylum (1876–1894)
• Eastern Kentucky Asylum for the Insane (1894–1912)
• Eastern State Hospital (1912–present)

Hospital Location and Organization

The hospital used to have three main buildings for patient care: The Main Building (part of which was the original structure), the Wendell Building (opened in 1953), and the Allen Building (opened in 1957).

The hospital's name officially became Eastern State Hospital on January 2, 1912. In the 1960s, a system of community mental health centers grew across Kentucky. These centers helped many people as outpatients, meaning they didn't need to stay at the hospital.

In 1970, Kentucky's state mental hospitals changed to a "geographic unit system." Before this, patients were placed based on their health problem. With the new system, patients were placed in units based on the area of the state they came from. This helped hospital staff and community care teams work together better. In 1975, the hospital was reorganized again to provide services based on what each patient needed.

On September 10, 2013, the hospital moved to a brand new facility. This new building cost $129 million and was built under a contract with UK HealthCare. It is one large building with three tall towers, named after the old buildings: Gragg, Allen, and Wendell. Most of the original buildings were torn down by December 2013, even though some people tried to save them. Only the administration and laundry buildings remain from the old campus.

Cemetery on Hospital Grounds

From 1824 until 1954, patients who were unknown, whose families could not afford to take them home, or who were not claimed were buried on the hospital property. The cemeteries were moved at least twice to their current spot behind the Hope Center in 1984. The state knows about 4,400 people are buried there, but the actual number might be higher. The number of unmarked graves on the property is not known. If any human remains are found during future work on the property, they will be re-buried in this cemetery.

See also

• Albert B. Chandler Hospital